Robert Kuan

Filipino fast food entrepreneur (1948–2018)

Roberto Fung Kuan (Chinese: 劉孝平; August 6, 1948 – September 15, 2018) was a Filipino restaurateur, businessman and philanthropist who founded the Filipino fast food chain Chowking.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Robert Kuan (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Aug 6, 1948, died Sep 15, 2018.1

About

Born to a Chinese immigrant family in Manila, Kuan studied business administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman and the Asian Institute of Management. He ran Ling Nam, a Chinese restaurant in Binondo partially owned by his family, for eight years, expanding it into a small chain. After learning that the board was planning to remove him, Kuan resigned and started Chowking in 1985. Tony Tan Caktiong of Jollibee was a founding business partner.

Chowking offered both Filipino and Chinese cuisine, setting it apart from the Western-style restaurants that dominated Filipino fast food. It started a successful franchising system in 1989, growing to half the size of Jollibee, the leader of the Filipino fast food market. Kuan served as Chowking's president until 2000, when he sold his 50% equity stake to the Jollibee Foods Corporation. By then, Chowking had 155 locations.

A member of the Episcopal Church, Kuan spent his later life working for various public institutions. He invested much of his time in St. Luke's Medical Center, where he served as chairman from 1996 to 2011. As of 2026, Chowking is the nation's largest Chinese restaurant chain.

From Wikipedia’s article on Robert Kuan, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

Roberto Fung Kuan was born on August 6, 1948, in Manila, the eldest of four children in a Chinese immigrant family. Kuan's father enforced strict discipline and provided for his children's education, not wanting them to experience the hardships that he had. After attending Hope Christian School, Kuan enrolled in industrial engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman. However, he decided to study at the university's College of Business Administration instead, where he found people to be "more friendly and humane". In 1970, Kuan graduated with a bachelor's degree in general management.

After Kuan graduated, he worked for two years at Makati Supermarket. He started as a warehouse checker, but was later assigned to positions such as sales, merchandising and auditing, learning various management and business relations principles. In 1973, Kuan resigned and enrolled at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), pursuing a master's in business management.

His father gave him ₱20,000 for his education and warned him that the only thing the money could earn in the bank was interest. During Kuan's first semester, his father battled lung cancer. Kuan told his father he wanted to propose to his girlfriend, Yvonne Yap. After the formalities, Kuan's father held out his hand to shake Yap's, right before he died. Despite this loss, Kuan followed his father's wishes and remained devoted to his studies. He later married Yap, with whom he would have four children.

In 1974, Kuan wrote his thesis on the potential expansion of Ling Nam, a Chinese restaurant partially owned by his family, under the guidance of Dean Gavino Mendoza. After graduating from AIM in 1975, Kuan worked as an assistant manager for an early prototype of the supermarket chain Ever Gotesco owned by his previous employer at Makati, but then decided to start working at Ling Nam.

From Wikipedia’s article on Robert Kuan (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Personal life

Kuan was an Episcopalian and his faith influenced his role at St. Luke's. Kuan died on September 15, 2018. He was cremated per his wishes.

From Wikipedia’s article on Robert Kuan (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

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